October / November 2009 - Western Connecticut State University

gates
the
october/november 2009 A publication for the WestConn community
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PERMIT 40
By Robert Taylor
diving right in:
WestConn works with area communities to protect
Candlewood Lake as region’s largest fresh-water resource
From the shores of Candlewood Lake to the
laboratories and greenhouses of the Science Building
at Western Connecticut State University, WestConn
faculty and students are having an important and
growing impact in preserving Connecticut’s largest
lake — and the greater Danbury area’s primary freshwater
resource — through their deepening research
and instructional collaboration with a diverse array of
public and private sector partners.
For Dr. Thomas Lonergan, professor and chair of
the biological and environmental sciences department,
decaying Eurasian watermilfoil roots observed and
measured this summer by student researchers in
Science Building greenhouse tanks of lake water
offered the promise of answering critical questions
about how to control and reverse proliferation of the
pest weed each summer off Candlewood’s shoreline.
For Andrew Oguma, a 2009 WestConn graduate
now preparing to pursue advanced degree studies,
Candlewood Lake became his field laboratory during
his senior year as he completed a series of snorkel
dives at the lake’s north end to monitor the progress
of newly introduced populations of a type of weevil
known to damage and potentially destroy milfoil at
sufficiently high levels of infestation.
For Dr. Theodora Pinou, associate professor of
biological and environmental sciences, Project Clear
— a program that brings together high school students
from five local districts to study fresh-water ecology
and conservation at Candlewood Lake and classroom
labs at WestConn — has laid the groundwork to build
a closer relationship between the university and area
Western Connecticut State University Office of University Relations
181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810
schools that ultimately could inspire and educate a
new generation of scientists.
For Larry Marsicano, executive director of the
Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA), these and
other signs of WestConn’s expanding research and
instructional role in exploring the fresh-water ecology
of the 5,420-acre manmade hydroelectric power
reservoir represent an invaluable scientific and public
policy planning resource for the CLA, Candlewood
owner FirstLight Power Resources, and the municipal
governments of shoreline communities.
“Having the university involved is an extremely
important component in achieving well-informed and
effective natural resource management in this area,”
Marsicano observed. “They have the tools, the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
To read the
entire article
and learn more
about this project,
visit wcsu.edu/
candlewood.
The university’s
2008/09 Annual Report
will be available as an online-only
publication at wcsu.edu/annualreport
after Nov. 13, 2009.

around campus 2
the gates is published bimonthly
(September - December & February - May)
by the Office of University Relations at
Western Connecticut State University.
Managing Editor Associate Editor
Paul Steinmetz Sherri Hill
Editors
Robin DeMerell Robert Taylor
Photography Layout & Design
Peggy Stewart Jason Davis
Send comments/suggestions to pr@wcsu.edu.
Conference asks:
is it easy being green?
By Paul Steinmetz
Michael Despines, climate resilience campaign
coordinator for Friends of the Earth, delivered the
keynote address at the 2009 Connecticut State
University International Education Conference
held at WestConn on Oct. 16.
WCSU photo/Ellen Myhill
Melissa (Missy) Gluckmann, WCSU
international services coordinator, saw an
opportunity. She would offer to host the
2009 Connecticut State University (CSU)
International Education Conference at
WestConn. And she would make it so
relevant and interesting that it had to be
successful.
It was a big task for Gluckmann, who is
the university’s first full-time — and lone —
occupant of the International Services office.
Today, Gluckmann admitted to letting a
doubt or two seep into her consciousness
every so often, but she quickly pushed
them aside. The Oct. 16 conference —
which offered a “green” theme, with all
the opportunities that environmental
consciousness offers students — was a
success.
“It was for students who aren’t sure why
they should care about where their food
comes from, or where their water bottle
ends up if they don’t recycle, or what kind
of weather patterns are occurring across
the world and why flooding is happening
in some parts that never flooded before,”
Gluckmann said.
“I wanted the future Doras, Gyures
and Philbricks (Dr. Dora Pinou and Dr.
Ruth Gyure, both associate professors of
biological and environmental sciences; and
Dr. Thomas Philbrick, CSU professor of
biological and environmental sciences) and
people who think they might want to be
policy makers to come to this. But this was
not just for students who have a science
background. It was discussed in ways that
non-scientists can understand, too.”
The conference also emphasized the
importance of learning languages other than
English as a way to increase one’s chances of
success in an international setting.
“I wanted it to be an event that could
propel a student’s career and help them
realize the career opportunities are
not limited to the country you’re in,”
Gluckmann said. “I wanted them to see the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Western Connecticut State University
181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810 • (203) 837-9000 or toll free (877) 837-WCSU
Office of University Relations Staff
Paul Steinmetz Sherri Hill Robert Taylor Robin DeMerell
Director Associate Director University Assistant University Assistant
(203) 837-8771 (203) 837-8774 (203) 837-8826 (203) 837-3278
steinmetzp@wcsu.edu hills@wcsu.edu taylorr@wcsu.edu demerellr@wcsu.edu
Administration & Management
President Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. James W. Schmotter Dr. Linda K. Rinker
Vice President for Institutional Advancement Vice President for Student Affairs
Dr. G. Koryoe Anim-Wright Dr. Walter B. Bernstein
Lorraine Capobianco, Chief Information Officer William P. Hawkins, Enrollment Management Officer
Carolyn Lanier, Int. Dir., Multicultural Affairs & Affirmative Action Charles Spiridon, Associate Vice President for Human Resources
Dr. Lynne Clark, Dean, School of Professional Studies Dr. Walter Cramer, Dean, Student Affairs
Dr. Ellen Durnin, Dean, Graduate Studies & External Programs Dr. Carol Hawkes, Dean, School of Visual & Performing Arts
Dr. Allen Morton, Dean, Ancell School of Business Dr. Linda Vaden-Goad, Dean, School of Arts & Sciences
Writing tutors rely
on Ryan’s guide
By Robin DeMerell
In the writing lab at WestConn sits a thin, teal green book that serves as
a Bible of sorts for the tutors who work with the hundreds of students
who stop by for help.
That book, “The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors” published by
Bedford/St. Martin’s, was written by WestConn graduate Dr. Leigh
Keller Ryan. A fifth edition of the book is due out in November and will
include information about technology and online writing centers and
tutoring.
Ryan graduated in 1965 from the
university’s first class of secondary
education in English majors. From there
she went on to teach English at several
area schools, including Newtown High
School. Ryan moved to Maryland in 1969
and continued her education by earning a
master’s and a Ph.D. in English education
from the University of Maryland, where
she is a professor and was honored
recently with the “Outstanding Service
to the College of Arts and Humanities
Faculty Award” for 2009. This is an
annual honor given to one faculty and one
staff member.
Not only has Ryan published a book
used at college writing centers all over the world and earned recognition
as an outstanding professor, since 1982 she has directed the writing
center at the University of Maryland. She is the “go-to” person for
anyone looking to set up a college writing lab.
“I’ve helped set up college writing centers in the Netherlands and
South Africa and have presented conferences in Greece, Turkey,
Germany and Scotland,” Ryan said. “A professor in Iceland just spent
a week shadowing me to learn about writing centers so he can start the
first one in Iceland.”
When Ryan first took over the University of Maryland writing center,
it was small and underutilized. Now she has a staff of 55 — mostly
undergraduate tutors with some graduate students and community
members — and helps thousands of students each year.
“I’ve developed a training course and, of course, we’ve added
technology,” Ryan said. “We now serve about 8,000 students a year and
when I started it was a few hundred. Initially, it served only students in
English 101; now it serves the entire campus. We’ve also added lots of
workshops. Writing centers are important for retention. If people don’t
have support when they need help, they tend to drop out.”
Looking back on her early college years, Ryan said she really enjoyed
being a student at WestConn.
“I liked the spirit of WestConn,” she said. “A small campus has
different advantages. When I went to WestConn, I knew people. Plus,
I loved the foundation that I got at WestConn and felt I was very
prepared to go into a classroom and teach. And I’ve built on that ever
since.”
To request additional copies, please call Cathy Cote at (203) 837-8486.
Western Connecticut State University is an affirmative action/equal
opportunity educator and employer, fully committed to the goal of
providing equal opportunity and full participation in its educational
programs, activities and employment without discrimination.

Students in a political science class conducted
by Associate Professor of Political Science Dr.
Christopher Kukk interact with students in
Geneva, Switzerland, via Skype technology.
By Robin DeMerell
WestConn is making the world a smaller, and
perhaps better, place by having students use
technology that gives them access to people
across the globe — giving credence to the
university motto “Stay Near, Go Far.”
In September, a group of 300 undergraduate
writing students — learning about the
history of Liberia and its current conditions
— participated in a videoconference with
Denis Hynes of the Academy of Educational
Development (AED), a nonprofit organization
promoting human and social development
worldwide.
The videoconference was led by Professor
of Writing, Linguistics & Creative Process Dr.
Edward Hagan and Professor of Anthropology
Dr. Robert Whittemore and lasted about 50
minutes. Students who had studied Liberia,
its history with the United States and its
past decades of civil war that left the country
ravaged, learned firsthand from Hynes,
who has lived in the region since 2006. The
students were able to communicate with
Hynes by submitting questions to Hagan, who
acted as a moderator.
In Dr. Chris Kukk’s junior-level political
science course, “Nuclear Non-Proliferation,”
students also are learning abroad from their
Midtown classroom. Thirteen students from
WestConn face off weekly with 25 students
from the Geneva School of Diplomacy
simulating non-proliferation treaty talks.
Technology
brings the world
to WestConn
classrooms
Kukk explained there are three ways to
connect with people across the globe live and
on video: videoconference (such as Skype),
satellite link-up and Internet connection with
videoconference feature. The videoconference
equipment that Kukk uses is sophisticated and
utilizes a camera and microphones. “You can
see everyone in the room,” Kukk said. “This
adds to the group dynamics.”
“These talks happen every five years
throughout the world,” Kukk said. “The next
one is in May 2010 at the United Nations
in New York City and what we’re doing is
making a simulation of those talks. Each
student represents a country — including
Israel, South Africa, North Korea, Iran, the
United States, United Kingdom, China
and France. After studying each article of
the treaty, the students then argue their
government’s position. “There are massive
disagreements,” Kukk said.
The Geneva students are led by Dr. Yuri
Narzkine, professor at the Geneva School
of Diplomacy and a former chief Soviet
negotiator for nuclear weapons. “He’s
lived and breathed this stuff,” Kukk said of
Narzkine. “It’s an amazing experience for our
students.”
WestConn students
urged to participate
in 2010 Census
By Robin DeMerell
It’s important to be counted — that’s why students at WestConn
are being urged to participate in Census 2010. The initiative was
announced at a press conference with city officials on September 29
at Danbury’s City Hall.
“WestConn, along with other campuses in the state, will be
working hard to encourage all students, but especially our residential
students, to complete census forms in April,” said WCSU Vice
President for Student Affairs Dr. Walter Bernstein. “Those students
living on campus will be counted as Danbury residents for the
purpose of this census count.”
A committee designed to organize events at WestConn will
begin publicizing the census at the end of January, when the spring
semester begins. Events will include activities, entertainment and
give-a-ways to students.
“As part of our involvement, we have filed a grant with the
Census Bureau for funding to allow us to support formal programs
on campus in the spring alerting students that the census is
important to them,” Bernstein said. “Even if we do not get these
grant monies, we will still be mounting several information
programs and getting out the word to all of our students.”
There are more than 1,500 students who live on WestConn’s two
campuses and they all will be counted as Danbury residents if they
fill out a form in April.
“That’s good for Danbury, because it allows us to increase
representation at the state level,” Bernstein said. “The students
have to see the value of being part of a community. It’s a civic
responsibility students have to fill out the form. We’re big on this
and we’re going to support the city in this effort.”
3

tutors rely
4Writing ‘Fighting Cancer’ author and
on Ryan’s guide
award-winning doctor speaks
By Robin DeMerell
to crowd at WestConn
In the writing lab at Western Connecticut State University sits a thin,
green book that serves as a Bible of sorts for the tutors who work with
By Robin DeMerell
the hundreds of students who stop by for help.
That book, “The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors” published by
Dr. Richard Frank, oncologist and director of cancer research at the Whittingham
Bedford/St. Martin’s, was written by WestConn graduate Dr. Leigh
Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital, helped to demystify cancer for about 120
Keller Ryan. A fifth edition of the book is due out in November and
people at a public lecture on Oct. 7 in Warner Hall and shared information from
includes information about technology and online writing centers and
his book, “Fighting Cancer with Knowledge and Hope.”
tutoring.
WCSU Professor of Nursing Dr. Carol Avery met Frank in 2007, several
Ryan graduated in 1965 from the university’s first class of secondary
years after her daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38. In January
education in English majors. From there she went on to teach English
2008, Rebecca Avery DiPanni died at age 42, just nine months after cancer was
at several area schools, including Newtown High School. Ryan
discovered in her liver. She died on her only son’s fourth birthday. Avery said that
moved to Maryland in 1969 and continued her education by earning
she wanted Frank to speak at WestConn to give people in the Danbury area —
a master’s and a Ph.D. in English education from the University of
from the nursing department to Danbury Hospital to the entire community at
Maryland, where she is a professor and was honored recently with the
WCSU — an opportunity to learn about his book and his award-winning work.
“Outstanding service to the College of Arts and Humanities faculty
“Rebecca was the sort of person who would want to help others,” Avery said.
award” for 2009. This is an annual honor bestowed to one faculty and
“My daughter, the bravest and strongest person I have ever known, was taken from
one staff member.
me much too soon. She was a loving daughter, wife and mother, and cherished
Not only has Ryan published a book used at college writing centers
friend. As Rebecca’s oncologist throughout her battle with liver cancer, Dr. Frank
all over the world and earned recognition as an outstanding professor,
was a thoughtful and sensitive physician who also found time to show our family
since 1982 she has directed the writing center at the University of
that he understood our grief and loss.”
Maryland. She is the “go-to” person for anyone looking to set up a
Frank, who is also medical director at Mid-Fairfield Hospice in Wilton, has
college writing lab.
been recognized for his humanitarian approach and research accomplishments. He
“I’ve helped set up college writing centers in The Netherlands
addressed what cancer is and how it spreads, how treatment strategies are chosen,
and South Africa and have presented conferences in Greece, Turkey,
how cancer-fighting drugs work to shut down the growth of the disease and how
Germany and Scotland,” Ryan said. “A professor in Iceland just spent
patients can helpfully visualize cancer treatments at work in the body.
a week shadowing me to learn about writing centers so he can start the
Despite having treated hundreds, Frank treats each patient as a unique
first one in Iceland.”
individual, and his philosophy is one he tries to pass on: “Keep trying if you believe
When Ryan first took over the University of Maryland writing
in something.” He said some more aggressive cancers may not be considered
center, it was small and underutilized. Now she has a staff of 55
treatable, but prolonging life at a quality level can be possible.
— mostly undergraduate tutors with some graduate students and
He also explained in his book and to his patients that cancer diagnosis
community members — and helps thousands of students each year.
is important to understand from type and stage, if a cure can be expected,
“I’ve developed a training course and, of course, we’ve added
environmental and genetic influences, a patient’s other medical issues and
technology,” Ryan said. “We now serve about 8,000 students a year and
treatment options. It is crucial, Frank said, that the patient and the family
when I started it was a few hundred. Initially, it served only students
members deal with the trauma of having cancer and receive counseling, which is
in English 101, now it serves the entire campus. We’ve also added lots
“critical to dealing with this disease.”
of workshops. Writing centers are important for retention. If people
“There is nothing more devastating than hearing you have cancer,” Frank said.
don’t have support when they need help then they tend to drop out.”
“Life stops and you have to understand what it all means.”
Looking back on her early college years, Ryan said she really enjoyed
being a student at WestConn.
“I liked the spirit of WestConn,” she said. “A small campus has
(l-r): different Oncologist advantages. Dr. Richard When Frank, I went Professor to WestConn, of Nursing I knew people. Plus,
Dr. Carol Avery and President James W. Schmotter
I loved the foundation that I got at WestConn and felt I was very
prepared to go into a classroom and teach. And I’ve built on that ever
since.”
WestConn police honored by
regional college security association
Montefusco and Shannonhouse recognized
by NECUSA for exemplary performance
WCSU Police Sgt. Richard Montefusco
and Officer Arthur Shannonhouse received
Exemplary Performance Awards on June
17 during the annual conference of the
Northeast Colleges and Universities
Security Association.
Montefusco, of Shelton, and
Shannonhouse, of Stamford, were honored
at the closing banquet of the NECUSA
conference at the Mystic Marriott
Hotel in Groton. The award recognizes
individuals from member institutions
who exhibit exemplary performance and
professionalism in handling incidents over
an extended period, and who have made
outstanding contributions to the safety and
security of their campus communities.
Director of University Police
Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Walter
Bernstein (right) congratulates WCSU Police
Sgt. Richard Montefusco.
Neil McLaughlin Jr. praised Montefusco and Shannonhouse as worthy recipients
of the Exemplary Performance Award. “They have made me very proud of their
accomplishments, and I am extremely happy and excited that they have been selected to
receive this prestigious award,” McLaughlin observed.
In addition to the awards presentations, McLaughlin was elected to a two-year term as
NECUSA vice president as a member of the association’s new slate of officers installed at
the closing banquet. The conference program on “The Impact of Violence on Campus”
also featured WCSU President James W. Schmotter as guest speaker at the luncheon
session, and Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Walter Bernstein as a participant in a
panel discussion on campus violence issues.
Project provides online search access to archives
By Robert Taylor
Archivist and Special Collections Librarian
Brian Stevens has been on a mission since
his arrival at WestConn in 2007 to provide
researchers with the tools to conduct more
efficient and comprehensive online searches
of the university’s archival holdings.
Now that quest has widened to lay the
groundwork for a common online search
tool to access summaries of state historical
archives across Connecticut.
Stevens has teamed up with WCSU
Library Systems Assistant Brian Kennison
to engineer the launch this year of the
Connecticut Archives Online (CAO)
service, an Internet search application
hosted at WestConn and designed to unify
and simplify searches of historical archives
statewide. So far, CAO has brought
together finding aids that index and
summarize nearly 500 special collections
held at WestConn, the Connecticut State
Library, and Central, Eastern and Southern
Connecticut State universities.
During an interview at his office in
the Ruth Haas Library, Stevens set on his
desk a large ring binder that held several
hundred printed pages summarizing items
in one of WestConn’s archival collections.
“In the past, when you were doing
research on some aspect of the university’s
history, you would probably come in to
this office or call and ask, ‘Where do I find
information about this?’” Stevens said.
“The archivist either would know where to
find it, or would give you a pile of binders
like this that you would look through to see
if you could find what you wanted. That
had been the only way to find out what
collections existed here and what was in
them.”
One of his first priorities upon assuming
his position as university archivist was to
implement the conversion of WestConn’s
finding aids from paper printouts and
files in word-processing applications to
Electronic Archival Description (EAD)
format. EAD was created in the 1990s in
cooperation with the Library of Congress
to permit online searches of archival
collections. Over the past 15 years, EAD
has emerged as the encoding standard used
by libraries and archives to develop online
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Contributed photo

By Robin DeMerell
Dr. H. Jonathan Greenwald made his mark on
WestConn almost at the moment he stepped foot
on campus back in 1959. He helped create the
university’s Humanistic Studies program and chaired
the philosophy department.
Now, nearly two years after his death, the
university is benefiting again from Greenwald’s
generosity. Greenwald, who lived in Newtown,
left more than $220,000 to the university in the
“H. Jonathan Greenwald and Dorothy Greenwald
Scholarship Fund.” The fund specifically provides
scholarships for students in the music program at
WestConn.
“In these times of financial challenge, the
WestConn professor continues legacy
by helping students
scholarships that Professor Greenwald’s generosity
makes possible are especially important,” said
university President James W. Schmotter. “His is a
lasting legacy that we will remember at every concert
and performance by our talented music students.”
Born in 1915, Greenwald, who grew up in
Missouri, served in World War II after joining the
U.S. Army Air Corps as a radio and radar operator.
He once looked forward to a career as a violinist, but
after breaking his fingers playing football, he headed
in a different direction. He earned his undergraduate
degree from the University of Kansas, a master’s
degree in education from the University of Vermont
and a doctorate in psychology and education from
Harvard University. He began a career as a freelance
photographer and then began teaching at the
Durnin chairs successful forum
Dr. Ellen Durnin, dean of Graduate
Studies and External Programs, chaired
the 2009 Business Women’s Forum
held at the Connecticut Convention
Center in October. Robin Roberts, of
the ABC News show “Good Morning,
America” (pictured above with Durnin),
delivered the event’s keynote address
to a crowd of nearly 600.
Rhode Island School of Design in 1954, where he
was chairman of art education. Before coming to
WestConn, he worked for the state of Rhode Island
as an art consultant. He retired from the university
in 1985 and continued his passion for photography,
traveling widely in Europe and exhibiting in galleries
in Connecticut. His wife Dorothy was also devoted to
music.
A violin made in Germany that belonged to
Greenwald is a permanent part of the university’s
music department and is a “community” violin used
by musicians at university performances.
For more information, call the Office of Institutional
Advancement at (203) 837-8298.
WestConn students participate in
national rally for equal rights
A contingent of 42 WestConn students who are members
of the Gay/Straight Alliance traveled by bus to the nation’s
capital on Sunday, Oct. 11, to participate in the National
Equity March.
5
Contributed photo

6
Candlewood Lake project (cont’d.)
expertise and the talent to do the necessary
research that the authority cannot do on its
own.”
Two WestConn research projects currently
in progress seek to test and evaluate strategies
for more effective containment and eradication
of Eurasian watermilfoil in Candlewood Lake.
Seasonal proliferation of thick milfoil growth
near or at the surface during summer and early
autumn months has caused serious disruption
to boating, water sports and other recreational
activities on the lake, and had a significant
impact on Candlewood’s overall ecological
balance as areas of high milfoil concentration
have spread along its 60-mile shoreline over the
past several decades.
Under the faculty supervision of Professor
of Biological and Environmental Sciences Dr.
Mitch Wagener, Oguma and fellow biology
major Ellen Healey literally took the plunge last
year into research collaboration at Candlewood
as the WCSU student research assistants in
a pilot study of weevil use as a biological tool
to control Eurasian watermilfoil growth in
shallows near the lake shoreline. The Ohiobased
ecological consulting firm EnviroScience,
which has pioneered use of weevil implantation
at lakes in the Northeast and Midwest, donated
an initial population of some 9,000 milfoil
weevil eggs to be established during summer
2008 on milfoil stems at three underwater test
sites in waters at the north end of Candlewood
Lake near Sherman. Wagener last year selected
Oguma and Healey for the important research
assignment to assist EnviroScience biologists
in the initial implantation, and to conduct
followup site visits and lab work to monitor
milfoil weevil population trends. The weevil
field and lab research has been continued by
students Jason Conn and Allison Ford during
the current academic year.
The initial studies conducted by Oguma
and Healey during 2008 “showed that where
stocking had occurred, the weevil population
had maintained itself, but there weren’t enough
to cause noticeable damage because there was
just too much milfoil out there,” Marsicano
observed. Plans for EnviroScience implantation
of additional weevil eggs in a $15,000 project
funded by lake owner FirstLight were
postponed until 2010 due to relatively late and
below-average regeneration of milfoil growth
during summer 2009. Wagener noted it will
take further research to determine whether
weevil populations can survive and build
through reproduction to levels sufficiently
high to become an effective biological tool in
controlling milfoil spread.
In contrast to the new biological strategy
of using weevils to control milfoil, winter
drawdowns of the water level of Candlewood
Lake have been implemented by the power
company for several decades, generally on
a biennial basis, in part as a tool to reduce
regeneration of milfoil and other underwater
vegetation during the following spring and
summer. Significant variations in the extent
to which milfoil has grown back after recent
drawdowns have raised questions as to the
effectiveness of this eradication strategy,
however, and Lonergan approached Marsicano
following a WestConn presentation on
the weevil study to propose a new research
collaboration between the university and
the CLA to seek a definitive answer to these
questions.
“I decided to organize a research project to
consider the question, ‘Is milfoil effectively
killed by freezing and drying its roots?’”
Lonergan said. He introduced the project as
part of the new Master of Arts in Teaching
(MAT) curriculum, geared to provide an
opportunity for MAT graduate students
preparing for future teaching positions in
biology to participate in a group research
project demanding rigorous inquiry into a realworld
scientific question.
Thirteen MAT students under Lonergan’s
supervision visited Candlewood Lake in June to
collect watermilfoil samples harvested by a team
of volunteer divers and returned to the Science
Building for study. Samples were trimmed
to their root systems; half of the specimens
underwent freezing at minus-5 Celsius with the
remaining half subjected to thorough drying,
each for varying periods of time ranging from
24 hours to three weeks. The root samples
were then restored to large aquarium tanks
of water drawn from Candlewood Lake and
maintained at normal lake temperatures and
natural-light conditions in the Science Building
greenhouse. Student researchers maintained a
regular laboratory schedule during the summer
to monitor decay or regeneration of the sample
root systems through a series of measurements
of root biomass, as well as testing for salt leakage
as a chemical indicator of root damage.
“What we have found is that even 24 hours
of drying or freezing seriously damages the
roots, and 48 hours does severe damage from
which they do not recover,” Lonergan observed.
These promising initial findings underscore
the need for further research to determine how
variations in conditions during Candlewood
Lake drawdowns — such as the severity and
length of sub-freezing periods, the extent and
duration of snow cover, and the size and length
of the drawdowns themselves — influence their
effectiveness in limiting milfoil regeneration
the following summer, he said. Lonergan this
fall will conduct a second round of sample
collection, testing and analysis, seeking to
determine if milfoil roots harvested at the
end of the growing season develop chemical
defenses against freezing during the ensuing
winter months. Looking forward, he recognized
“WestConn has the tools, the expertise
and the talent for the Candlewood Lake
research that will help us to achieve
informed and effective natural resource
management in this area.”
–– Larry Marsicano, executive director, Candlewood Lake Authority

(top left): High
school students participating
in Project
Clear collect samples
in Candlewood Lake.
(bottom left): Candlewood
Lake Authority
Executive Director
Larry Marsicano
Caption
it will take years and additional funding to
complete the research required to explore the
diverse aspects of Candlewood Lake drawdown
effectiveness in curbing milfoil growth.
The important role of WestConn MAT
students in Candlewood Lake research will
provide experience, knowledge and motivation
for them to share their interest in freshwater
ecology and resource preservation
in the classroom when they move on after
graduation to new science teaching positions
in Connecticut schools. A successful model
for engaging young students in such research
is the Project Clear program at Candlewood
Lake, a cooperative teaching venture that
currently brings together about 125 high school
students from the Brookfield, New Milford,
New Fairfield, Sherman, Bethel and Danbury
districts for joint field and classroom studies
designed to raise awareness about fresh-water
ecology. Funded by an interdistrict grant from
the Connecticut Department of Education
and administered by Education Connection,
the regional education service center for
western Connecticut, Project Clear “gets
youth of different socioeconomic backgrounds
engaged and working together to understand
the ecological, conservation and social issues
pertaining to the lake,” Marsicano explained.
WestConn’s role in Project Clear is
currently limited to making Science Building
instructional facilities available for the
program’s classroom sessions and providing an
opportunity to meet WestConn faculty and
students. Pinou, who coordinates secondary
education outreach for the WCSU biology
department, envisions a more extensive
collaboration bringing together the university,
area secondary schools and the general
community in an expanded Project Clear
serving as a model for natural resource study
and science education.
“We need to build collaborative relationships
between our students and area high school
students, between high school teachers and
university faculty, between our faculty and
researchers in the field,” she said. “My dream
(center image):
WCSU student
Jason Conn collects
milfoil samples from
Candlewood Lake.
(right): WCSU
student Allison Ford
examines milfoil
harvested from
Candlewood Lake.
would be to provide a model that brings
together local school districts, the university,
and agencies and community groups interested
in fresh water conservation at Candlewood
Lake, to ask how we in this region can care
better for this natural resource.” Toward
that end, Pinou hopes to secure National
Science Foundation funding to support
the development of student internship and
mentoring programs at WestConn within
the framework of an expanded Project Clear.
WestConn interns would have the opportunity
to participate in studies and research related
to conservation of the Candlewood Lake
watershed, and to serve as mentors for Project
Clear participants from area school districts.
Marsicano said the evolving research
relationship between WestConn and the
CLA, FirstLight and municipal governments
of the towns bordering Candlewood Lake will
make an important contribution to informed
and scientifically grounded decisions on
management and public policy issues related to
the lake.
“The beauty of academic research is that it’s
apolitical and objective,” he observed. “They go
where the research leads them.
“One of the benefits in this collaboration is
that, when you are engaging the power company
and local communities in trying to develop
strategies for environmental management, it has
more impact and credibility when you have the
research of a university behind you,” he said.
To read the
entire article
and learn more
about this project,
visit wcsu.edu/
candlewood.
7
Caption

campus briefs 8Two
student-produced videos win awards
“When you think of jail, who do you think of?” was the question posed in one award-winning
video by WestConn students.
The four students — David Duncan, Mike Lukaniec, Dan Choi and Robin Moravsky —
earned second place in the student-produced video commercial for an alcohol awareness
Public Service Announcement competition sponsored by Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of
Connecticut in May.
The 30-second clip flashes the words “kidnapper,” “embezzler” and “murderer” as the
criminals seen behind bars and then shows a mother jailed for serving alcohol to minors.
“The WestConn video reflects the commitment to professionalism our students brought to
the project,” Assistant Professor of Communication Dr. J.C. Barone said. “The message was
very effective and the soundtrack and visuals packed a powerful punch. I was very grateful
to see their hard work and talent recognized outside the classroom in a way that helped the
community.”
A second video by 2008 graduates Arjumond Khan and Ben Woodhouse came in first
runner-up in July at a contest sponsored by The Scientist magazine. The 26-second video,
which showed the time lapse of an amoeba’s life cycle, was part of a senior research project.
Calling it a “great scientific video short,” judges said the video earned recognition because the
time-lapse “allowed a dramatic change to be more apparent.”
“I think this video was selected because it elegantly and dynamically shows a complicated
interaction between two organisms,” said Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Frank Dye. “It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This video is worth a
thousand pictures.”
WestConn welcomes largest class in history
On Friday, Aug. 28, more than 1,500 freshmen and transfer students assembled in Ives
Concert Hall to begin their college careers at WCSU.
“WestConn begins its 106 th year with excitement and energy,” said university President
James W. Schmotter. “This year we have the largest enrollment in our history with 4,830 fulltime
undergraduate students. Despite state budget pressures, special retirements and hiring
freezes, we have been able to staff the courses and develop the educational programs that
our students will need to prepare for their futures. That’s why this university exists.”
During the ceremony, alumna Maria Tomaino Parille, class of 1981, addressed the crowd
briefly and passed the 2013 class flag to her daughter, Kristi Marie Parille, of the class of
2013.
Among the many activities planned for students during “Welcome Week 2009” were
informational sessions on date rape, movies and a “Clubs Carnival” introducing the various
student organizations at WestConn.
Professor has three-act play
performed in China
When a young American soldier becomes a prisoner during
the Korean War, he chooses to seek refuge in Red China at the
time of armistice to chase his dreams of a better world.
This is the theme of “Twin-Sun River: An American POW
in China,” a three-act play written by Professor of English Dr.
Shouhua Qi.
The play debuted in April at the Shanghai Theater Academy
with eight performances. After a staged reading of “Twin-Sun
River” was sponsored by the National Academy of Television
Arts & Sciences in New York in March 2008, Tong Ruimin of
the academy asked Qi about presenting the play.
“There were a hundred people involved in the production
with 20 actors,” Qi said. The American consulate personnel in
China were invited to the final performance. “They were laughing with tears in their eyes.”
The theme was altered slightly to put the peace theme more in the foreground than the
original play, Qi said, to make it more “politically correct” for China. “In my play, the theme is
that humanity transcends political and cultural boundaries.”
The play is narrated by Private First-Class Simon Mackenzie, who disappears in the
heartland of China to find his dream of solace; but his dream is tested over and over by flood,
famine and the Chinese Revolution. He becomes enmeshed with a Chinese family whose only
son did not return from the Korean War and falls in love with the soldier’s “widowed” wife. He
is suspected of being a spy for the Russians and is beaten by the Red Guards. Throughout
his trials, Mackenzie realizes that he cannot run away from his destiny, which is to build his
own peaceful existence in his own heart.
“My goal is to get the younger generation to see the history of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, not
just the boom of China as the next superpower,” Qi said. “The Korean War is a forgotten war
in this country, too. It’s the first war the U.S. didn’t win. It’s not the most glorious page in
our history. We don’t want to forget our soldiers and their history. We don’t want to forget the
lessons we draw from it.”
Follow us!
wcsu.edu/newsevents
mediamentions
TOWN AND GOWN: WESTCONN
BUILDS UPON A LEGACY OF
CULTURE, OPPORTUNITY
In the Middle Ages, university
students often performed minor
clerical duties in their schools and
wore gowns that set them apart
from citizens of the town, creating
a distinction labeled “town and
gown.” There were no gowns
at Danbury’s WestConn when it
began more than 100 years ago,
and today few boundaries exist
between its campus and the
community. This year, against
the backdrop of economic woes
across the country, more families
chose the state university over
private colleges.
WOMEN NEED TO NEGOTIATE
MORE: WESTCONN’S ELLEN
DURNIN SAYS SKILL IS
WOEFULLY UNDERUSED
(REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN)
Life is a constant negotiation.
The bargaining goes on whether
or not you choose to participate.
Not negotiating a salary means
leaving money on the table, says
Ellen Durnin, dean of graduate
studies and external programs
at WestConn in Danbury. But for
women, negotiation is a woefully
underused skill.
UNIVERSITY PUMPS MILLIONS
INTO ECONOMY
WestConn’s chief goal is
education, but nobody can
deny that it’s also an economic
powerhouse — providing
thousands of jobs and pumping
millions of dollars into the area
every year. “Around the country
college towns tend to have very
stable economies,” said university
President James Schmotter. “Our
primary purpose is education, but
ultimately we are also a significant
economic player.” According
to an economic impact report
released by the university about
three years ago, WestConn put
about $214 million into the area’s
economy in 2005 and produced
2,165 jobs.
WITH DR. MEL GOLDSTEIN,
THE FORECAST IS ALWAYS
ENGAGING, AS IS HIS NEWEST
BOOK (HARTFORD COURANT)
Dr. Mel Goldstein is not your
average happy-talking TV
weatherman. With a doctorate
in meteorology, he is professor
emeritus at WestConn, where
he taught from 1970 to ’97.
The popular WTNH, Channel
8, veteran founded the school’s
weather center and created its
bachelor’s degree program in
meteorology, still the only one
offered in Connecticut. His index
for predicting severe storms
was used by a dozen utilities
across the country for about 20
years, and he has served as a
consultant to major corporations
like IBM and General Electric.
THE ADVANTAGES OF
TEACHING OVERSEAS WITH A
FAMILY (INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
article contributed by Dr. Christopher Kukk)
Not long ago, I accepted a
Fulbright teaching assignment
in Estonia, but rather than going
for a year by myself, my wife and
three young sons accompanied
me. One day, my four-year-old
son had an insightful question:
“Daddy, why do Estonians walk
so fast?” Being on the “daddyspot,”
I made up an answer as
fast as Estonians walk. I said:
“They walk fast because it is
cold.” I admit, not a creative
answer but an answer (which I
found out in time) that was partly
true. However, my son’s question
deserved a more thoughtful
answer. His question, which was
asked soon after we had settled
in Estonia, and how I discovered
the more “complete” answer, led
me to think of several advantages
of traveling and teaching overseas
with a family.
WESTCONN WELCOMES ITS
BIGGEST CLASS
The welcome-back-to-school
ceremony at WestConn moved
inside because of rain Friday,
but that didn’t dampen the
excitement of about 900 parents
and students on hand for
orientation. The new students
moved into dorms at WestConn in
the morning with help from school
athletes. They heard words of
advice from top administrators as
the Danbury university prepared
to begin classes Monday for its
largest pool of students in history.
A sampling of local media stories that
mention WestConn. All appeared in The
News-Times unless otherwise noted.
PERFECT FINISH FOR
WESTCONN WOMEN’S TENNIS
The WestConn women’s tennis
team clinched a perfect record
in the Little East Conference
Saturday afternoon with an 8-1
victory over Plymouth State
University in the regular-season
finale. WestConn (11-2, 7-0),
which captured its first LEC
regular season title, will be the
top seed in next week’s LEC
Tournament and will enjoy a firstround
bye.
STATE SCHOOLS,
ENROLLMENT RECORD LEVELS
(WTNH-8)
As the 2009-10 academic
year gets under way, the
Connecticut State University
System, which includes Central,
Eastern, Southern and Western
Connecticut State universities, will
have a record number of students
attending classes. Officials say
the record-breaking numbers
(an increase of between 3 and 5
percent above a year ago) stem
from larger freshman classes,
increases in the number of
transfer students and improved
retention of students.
WESTCONN COMMENDED FOR
FORUM ON GATES CASE
WestConn should be commended
for sponsoring a significant
discussion on race relationships
based on the events surrounding
Harvard professor Henry Gates’
encounter with the local police
at Cambridge, Mass. This forum
represents just one example of
the university’s commitment to
community-relevant interactions
and to its ever-increasing status
as a moral and intellectual leader
to the area. With respect to the
distinguished panel’s perception
of the incident, the varied views
were interesting. My personal
reaction differed somewhat from
theirs in that I felt the primary
dynamic of the situation consisted
of two powerful authority figures,
projecting huge egos and
influence in their respective fields,
confronting each other.
International Education Conference (cont’d.)
common thread and import it.”
About 100 people listened to keynote
speaker Michael Despines, climate resilience
campaign coordinator for Friends of the
Earth, based in Washington, D.C. Despines
promotes policy solutions “that support
domestic and international populations
most at risk from climate change.”
The committee that planned the
conference solicited proposals for papers
during the summer throughout the CSU
System. In keeping with the green theme, no
brochure was printed for participants and
the font used to print the posters used less
ink than normal.
Several speakers from outside the area
interacted with the conference via the Web.
In addition to discussions about global
warming and climate change, the agenda
included investigations of ways to:
• Reduce the environmental impact of
international travel through the use of
renewable energy, carbon neutrality and
carbon-reduction offsets;
• Prepare CSUS students for “Green
Collar” jobs;
• Determine international trends in
sustainability education; and
• Develop grants available through
international education services.

WestConn M.F.A. grad brings writers together with anthology
By Robin DeMerell
Writing is a lonely profession — that’s why Anne
Witkavitch, a graduate of WestConn’s Master of Fine
Arts in Professional Writing program, is trying to
bring writers together through an anthology. And the
response has been overwhelming.
Witkavitch, who earned her M.F.A. in 2007 after
20 years in the corporate world, started a home-based
communications consulting business to satisfy her
passion for writing. Then she started “Press Pause
Now,” through which she created a coaching and
retreat program for women who want to reshape their
career paths as writers. The latest session was held
Oct. 3 in Litchfield.
“It’s a chance for women to rethink, refocus and
reenergize,” said Witkavitch, who lives in Bethany.
“We tend to focus on the real big picture and
everyone else’s needs. We don’t press that ‘pause’
button.”
The anthology she is compiling is a chance for
women to tell their stories of how they “switched
gears” and decided to fulfill their passions to
Archives (cont’d.)
capability for searches of their holdings.
“Once your finding aids are formatted in EAD, you
open up your collections for online searches, just like
an online card catalog,” Stevens observed. Turning to
his keyboard and typing in a search word on the CAO
homepage, he noted, “it goes through all the finding
aids on our system and locates all the references to my
search target. That’s a hugely more powerful search
tool than coming in here and poring over five or six
binders. And you can do the search from home.”
Building on this EAD software architecture,
Kennison took the lead in development of a
comprehensive online service that indexes and
organizes finding aids for the university’s archives
and special collections. By providing a far more userfriendly
environment to conduct efficient global
searches, he said, “it brought the archives into the
modern world and the light of day.”
Stevens and Kennison also realized the potential
of using the EAD-based structure of the Haas Library
archival service as the foundation for linking finding
aids for WestConn collections with those for archival
resources at other libraries, government institutions
and historical societies statewide.
“We have a small subset of Connecticut’s total
historical archives, as do other CSU (Connecticut
State University) institutions,” Stevens said. “We
realized that it would be a much more effective
and efficient resource for accessing a broader base
of archives of Connecticut history if we work with
the other CSU libraries and the Connecticut State
Library to pool together our EAD finding aids.”
Stevens’ meeting in summer 2008 with his
counterparts from sister CSU schools confirmed
their commitment to move forward with the project.
Kennison completed work last February on the
prototype for Connecticut Archives Online, paving
the way to go live with the one-stop service for global
searches of finding aids for collections at the four
become writers. “Women have great stories to tell,”
Witkavitch said. To date, she has received 24 stories
from women all over the country with “excellent
writing credentials.” Submissions for the book were
accepted until late September.
“I think women support and encourage each other
through those stories,” Witkavitch said, stressing
that the timing of the book is fitting. “This is a time
when we’re dealing with a recession and both men
and women have been taking stock of their lives and
recognizing that this is a good opportunity to pursue
other avenues.”
Witkavitch, who is teaching undergraduate writing
courses this fall at WestConn, hopes that the book
will appeal to a wide audience but expects it will
attract the most attention from women who are 35
to 55. “I do think this is primarily for women who
have had life experience and come to that point
where they have decisions they need to make to fulfill
themselves.”
For more information, visit the anthology Web site at www.
ppnanthonologyseries.wordpress.com.
universities and the State Library in Hartford.
Stevens noted that researchers will find CAO
provides a unified compilation of archival finding aids
across the state that eliminates the need to conduct
separate searches of the collections held by each
participating institution. He and Kennison agreed
that the online service will continue to grow in value
for academic and historical research as more libraries
and institutions make their finding aids accessible
through the CAO service.
“The consensus at this point is that, now that
we have the prototype structure, why not invite
other institutions to join in?” Stevens observed. “For
example , a historical society in a Connecticut town
may have its own finding aids, but these exist in
their own separate space online. If these societies can
pool their information with other historical archives
around the state, now someone searching through
CAO for a subject in Connecticut history will be
directed to their finding aids as well.”
Kennison noted that archive collections with
finding aids already in EAD format will be able to
join the CAO service at no cost by submitting the
EAD files for upload on the system. “They don’t
have to build a database locally — all they have to
do is contact us and submit their EAD files,” he
said. For historical societies that lack the capacity
to provide EAD-based finding aids on their own,
the CAO project in the future could provide onsite
technical assistance if grant funding for outreach
can be secured, he added. Immediate plans call for
development of a simple digital interface that would
enable even small local historical societies and archival
collections to submit a brief summary record of their
holdings for inclusion in the CAO database.
Stevens emphasized the importance of building the
CAO service with open-source EAD software that
incurs no cost for current and prospective users.
“The fact that there is no proprietary software
COS membership opens new
grant opportunities
By Robert Taylor
WestConn faculty and staff now have online access to
comprehensive information on more than 400,000 research
funding opportunities worldwide with the university’s recent
decision to become a member of the Community of Science
(COS), a leading provider of Web-based services designed to
assist researchers in searching and locating available grants,
collaborating with colleagues in their field, and promoting
their work through the COS system.
The WCSU Office of Grant Programs noted COS
services include a continuously updated database announcing
grant, fellowship and other research funding opportunities
around the world, as well as customized weekly e-mail alerts
highlighting those grants that meet the specific research
and related criteria submitted by individual COS members.
Other services include a searchable database of nearly 2
million published scholars, profiles of more than 480,000
researchers from more than 1,600 institutions worldwide,
and access tools for individual members to post summaries of
their research work and their professional resumes.
WestConn faculty and staff members may access the
COS database of research-funding opportunities directly
from any computer on the university’s Midtown and
Westside campuses. Input of the URL www.cos.com will
trigger recognition of the WestConn IP address and provide
automatic authorization to access COS database services.
WestConn students are invited to access the COS system
for information on research, study-abroad opportunities,
database collections and other useful academic resources.
WestConn faculty, staff and students also have the option
of establishing a personal “COS Workbench” by setting up
an individual username and password, which are required
for accessing the system from computers off campus and
for enabling the user to save funding records and search
information. A personal COS Workbench may be arranged
at no cost by clicking the “New User? Register Free” icon
on the homepage at www.cos.com. The individual user will
gain access to the funding opportunities database and weekly
e-mail alert service by confirming affiliation with WCSU.
In its announcement of university access to COS services,
the Office of Grant Programs observed that the partnership
will make many new and exciting opportunities available
from the wide variety of funders featured in the searchable
COS databases. The staff of the Office of Grant Programs
will assist faculty and staff with grant submissions.
For more information, call the Office of Grant Programs at
(203) 837-8281.
involved is important to the spirit of archives and open
information,” he observed. “If participants had to pay for the
software to join this project, it would have died a slow death. You
need a community to give content to the database and to help
sustain the infrastructure of the database itself. That is the only
sustainable model for this service.”
Visit Connecticut Archives Online to browse participating collections
and conduct your own search at http://library.wcsu.edu/cao, or visit
WestConn’s archives site at library.wcsu.edu/web/about/units/archives and
click “Search.”
9

homecoming recap 10
A. The Colonials were jubilant after a comefrom-behind
victory against Brockport State
during the Oct. 24 Homecoming game.
B. Braving the weather to tailgate before
the game were current and former WCSU
cheerleaders, their families and friends.
C. Students sported “Haunted Homecoming”
T-shirts, reflecting this year’s theme.
D. Inducted into the WCSU Athletic Hall
of Fame this year are (l-r): Ted Smigala,
Wayne Mones, Carl Rivers, Harvey Jessup
(represented by his daughter, Debbie), Kate
Manning, Matt LeFever and Ray Parry.
E. Homecoming King Jason Santiago and
Queen Megan DiMeglio.
F. Rain forced the Street Fair inside, but it was
no less a success.
C
To see a gallery of images from
this event, visit wcsu.edu/flickr.
E
A
WestConn’s football team celebrates
40 years on the field
In 1969 Richard Nixon was president, the first astronauts landed on the moon, and
WestConn was still a college. That same year, a group of athletes formed WestConn’s first
football team.
This year marked the 40 th anniversary of the university’s football team, which was
celebrated the weekend of Oct. 2. The celebration kicked off with a reception on Friday
evening at the Hall of Fame in the O’Neill Center on the Westside campus. On Saturday,
teammates and fans had a continental breakfast at the President’s Box in the Westside
campus Athletic Stadium followed by an 11:30 a.m. lunch at the same location.
Celebrants, pictured at left, then watched the Colonials play against Morrisville State
from the President’s Box.
B
D
F

WCSU Photo / Ellen Myhill
A
B
A. A panel discussion about the Henry Louis Gates incident featured (l-r): Professor Emeritus of Justice &
Law Administration Dr. Harold Schramm; Professor of Economics Dr. Oluwole Owoye; community leader
Alice Hyman; Kerri Forrest, senior producer of “The Early Show” on CBS; David Dear, publisher of The
News-Times; Glenn Cassis, executive director of the Connecticut African-American Affairs Commission; and
Danbury Chief of Police Al Baker. The panel was moderated by Dr. George Coleman, deputy commissioner
of the Connecticut Department of Education.
B. Education students reenacted characters from children’s banned books for Banned Books Week.
C. Area high school students who participated in the Young Writers Conference last summer had an
autograph party to celebrate the publication of their written work.
D. “Tres Vidas,” based on the lives of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Salvadoran peasant activist Rufina
Amaya and Argentinean poet Alfonsina Storni, was a National Hispanic Culture Awareness event.
E. Abigail Disney screened her documentary “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” for the Steven D. Neuwirth Arts &
Sciences Lecture in September.
F. (l-r): Erland Hagman, father of the late WCSU
student Veronica Hagman, interacts with scholarship
recipient Emily Gardner during the Student Scholarship
Reception.
G. WestConn received the 2009 Business Supports the
Arts award from the Housatonic Valley Cultural Authority.
F
WCSU Photo / Kyle Juron
C
E
G
D
To see a gallery of images from
this event, visit wcsu.edu/flickr.
11 scene on campus

coming up 12
Theatre Arts
at WestConn
presents
November 4 – 21
(203) 837-8732 or
wcsu.edu/tickets
a smash hit broadway musical
COA_FlyerX1.indd 1 9/18/09 1:27:15 PM
Dec. 1 ART SLIDE LECTURE: Painter Bill
Sullivan will discuss his work at 11 a.m. in
Viewing Room 1 of White Hall on the Midtown
campus. The event will be free and open to
the public, and it will be presented as part
of the university’s Master of Fine Arts slide
lecture series. For more information, call
(203) 837-8881.
Dec. 3 INTERNSHIP FAIR: Student interns
in WestConn’s health promotion and exercise
sciences department will present an overview
of their internship experiences from 11 a.m. to
1 p.m. on the first floor of Warner Hall on the
Midtown campus. The event will be free and
the public is invited. For more information, call
(203) 837-8612.
Dec. 3 COFFEEHOUSE: WestConn will
present the Midtown Coffeehouse at 8 p.m. in
Alumni Hall on the Midtown campus. The coffeehouse
will include open mic performers at 8
p.m., followed by the featured act, the WCSU
Jazz Band, at 9 p.m. Admission will be free
and the public is invited. Donations to sustain
the Coffeehouse will be accepted. Call (203)
837-9700 for more information.
Dec. 5 PLANETARIUM SHOW AND TELE-
SCOPE VIEWING: WestConn will host a
4:30 p.m. planetarium show, “Winter Skies,”
followed by telescope viewing of Uranus, the
winter sky and the Pleiades star cluster, from
5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Westside Observatory
and Planetarium on the Westside campus. The
event will be free and open to the public. For
more information, call (203) 837-8672.
Dec. 8 PROMOTION & TENURE LUN-
CHEON: WestConn will host a Promotion and
Tenure Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in Alumni Hall
on the Midtown campus. The luncheon is by
invitation only. For more information, call (203)
837-8486.
Dec. 8 FACULTY RECOGNITION CEREMONY
WestConn will host a Faculty Recognition Ceremony
that will include the presentation of the
third Teaching Excellence Award at a reception
at 4 p.m. in Warner Hall on the Midtown
campus. The ceremony will be free and open
to WestConn faculty and staff only. For more
information, call (203) 837-8486.
October
November
Western
Connecticut
State
University
Higgins Hall
Gallery
17 November–10 December
Monday –Thursday
12 – 4 p m
181 White Street
Danbury
Connecticut
06810
Reception
17 November 2009
5 – 7 pm
30 Oktoberfest Jazz – featuring WCSU Jazz
Orchestra and Frankensax playing music of
Davis, Coltrane & Parker
6 WCSU Jazz Combos
WestConn’s
10 WCSU Piano Studio Recital
18 WCSU Symphonic Band & Wind
Ensemble – performing works by
Clark, Hanson & Gandolfi
19 WCSU Orchestra featuring works by
Mozart, Dvorak & Rimsky Korsakov
24 WCSU Concert Choir &
Chamber Singers
performing works of American composers
2009 2009
exhibition exhibition exhibition exhibition exhibition
Dept. of Music fall 2009
9 WCSU Jazz Combos
4 WCSU Jazz Combos with Guest Artist $$$
15 Please WCSU join Jazz us faculty for – these 7:00 p.m.
exciting cultural events:
December
7 WCSU Percussion Ensemble
11-12 WCSU Opera performances $$$
Amahl and the Night Visitors
13 WCSU Holiday Jazz – 3:00 p.m.
featuring the WCSU Jazz Orchestra playing
favorite holiday classics
All events are in Ives Concert Hall,
White Hall on the Midtown campus.
Events will begin at 8:00 p.m. and
are free – unless noted otherwise.
$$$ - Tickets for events are at
wcsu.edu/tickets.
181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810 . (203) 837-8350 . www.wcsu.edu/music
For the latest in WestConn news and event listings, visit
wcsu.edu/newsevents
Western Connecticut State University
Oct. 30
Dates and times are subject to
Department change. Check of Music our online events
181
calendar
White Street,
to ensure
Danbury,
the
CT 06810
event you
are interested in is still scheduled.
All events are free and open to the
public unless otherwise noted. For
more information about these and
other events, please call the Office
of University Relations at (203)
837-8486 or visit wcsu.edu.
Need directions? Please visit
wcsu.edu/directions.
Concert
ChamberS